Life Skills: Discipline and Goals Part 1-Self Control

Parents – So you say you want your child to develop self-discipline? Do you know what is required to strengthen this quality in ourselves and our children and how to develop self – discipline?

There are four necessary components to achieve success in developing self discipline that all of us will recognize when we think about those that have started a diet but did not follow through, that wanted to write a book, start a new business, achieve black belt rank, get straight A’s, save a certain amount of money or what ever the goal is that was not achieved.

The four components of self discipline that all need to be strengthened are: Self Control, Motivation, Persistence, Goals. Anyone who started writing a book, could never start the business that they dreamed of, quit at yellow belt, or gave up on a monetary goal, most likely did so due to a lack of self discipline.

Aristotle is quoted as saying: “I count him braver who overcomes his desire than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.”

Learning to say NO to ourselves and our personal cravings is one of the first steps in developing self control. We are marketed to and sold on the idea constantly in the media of what we ‘need’, when in fact what is really necessary and what are simple urges or desires are quite different. Can we tell the difference in our own lives and can we help our children to learn the difference. Will we take the time to consider the differences or just act on the urge? This is simply one of the hardest with so many forces (external) telling us what we need to look and feel successful.

Can we deny what we want or crave? Can we fight the influence of advertising and our accessibility to so much? Can we teach our children by example and action what self control is or will we teach them to give in to the brainwashing of society and our own personal cravings to get or take what we want. Without self control, self discipline is impossible.

I will continue this discussion in later articles on the other parts of gaining Self Discipline.